


Almost Friend Territory

by lecworthy



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Random prompt, after crystal kingdom before suffering game, did it make me cry? maybe, is this good? idk, they're bonding bitch!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23316514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lecworthy/pseuds/lecworthy
Summary: "Is this some Magnus ploy to get me to share my feelings?""Yes, and you're drunk, so there’s at least a small chance it will work as opposed to none.”Magnus gets Taako to open up. Sometime along the way, they began veering away from just coworkers and more towards friends.
Relationships: Magnus Burnsides & Taako
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	Almost Friend Territory

**Author's Note:**

> hello dear readers, and welcome to my quarantine-induced Soft Content. please enjoy. this was inspired by the random prompt, "have you been drinking?" and went from there. 
> 
> i don't really know how i feel about it, but i wanted to share anyway. any inspiration or creativity during this time is worth sharing. if you are creating right now, it is not meaningless, it is important. you are important. may we continue to boost and encourage each other during this time of isolation. you're going to be amazing!
> 
> anyways, enough rambling, have some Boys

“Have you been drinking?”

“Mm-mm. Nope. Taako’s Sharing Corner is closed for the evening, please try again later.”

“Answering my question is not revealing personal information, just kind of admitting the obvious.”

Taako hiccuped.

Magnus, sensing he would be getting nowhere with this line of questioning, sighed and leaned over to pick his companion up. Taako practically fell into his arms, a tell-tale sign of his drunken state, as usually he would shy away from physical contact of any kind. With the elf slung over his shoulder, he lumbered towards their bedrooms and away from the common area. 

“Where did you even get a strong drink anyway?” Magnus wondered aloud. The Director allowed them the occasional champagne glass out of celebration, but anything stronger was nowhere to be found on the Base. “I haven’t been drunk since Pringles got locked up.” 

“Avi smuggled it for me. Probably sold his soul to Garfield or some shit to get it.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. I’m content never knowing what he wanted with my blood, thank you very much.”

A muffled groan was all Magnus got in response. When they reached Taako’s room, he deposited Taako on the bed, throwing him with more force than he intended. Taako simply bounced a bit on the mattress. Magnus could not tell if he was aware of his surroundings or not. 

“Sooooo…” the fighter drew out the sound as Taako continued to sway. “What made you so desperate that you went to Avi for some most definitely cursed Garfield booze?”

“What makes you think I was desperate? Rich coming from you.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love alcohol as much as the next dude, but I’ve never had someone smuggle it for me on a secret moon base so I could drink alone. Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get drunk at a tavern or anything. Something’s obviously up.”

“Is this some Magnus ploy to get me to share my feelings?”

“Yes, and you’re drunk, so there’s at least a small chance it will work as opposed to none.”

“Well, I’m lucid enough to tell you that I’m peachy and you can fuck right off with your ‘feelings,’ bucko.”

Magnus stared. Taako wobbled a bit more before he finally broke their eye contact, silent still.

“I know we’re just coworkers who met because of a Craigs’ List advertisement. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, but I think we put a lot more trust in each other than we realize. Like, I trusted you enough to jump out of a train! I even trusted _Merle_ enough to! That’s more than some office-coworker shit, that’s almost _friend_ territory!”

At that, Taako shot up. “Woah. Wooooooah, my man. Slow down. This wizard is a one man show; always has been, always will be. No time for anyone else. I got other shit to worry about, like how the _fuck_ I’m supposed to finish my Taako Time with you all up in my business.”

Magnus put his hands to his chin, smiling. “Reeeeeally? You don’t care about anyone? At all?”

“No-pe.”

“Then why did you spend so much time making those macarons for Candlenights?”

“Gotta keep up the Taako Brand, baby. I _do_ care about my reputation.”

“Mm-hmm. And why did you offer to give Angus magic lessons?”

“Can’t help that the kid adores me. Need to keep the fans engaged.”

“Sure. And all those spell slots you’ve wasted protecting me and Merle?”

“Don’t want a bad performance review, homie.” His words became less insistent and more slurred with each response.

Magnus smiled wider. “Face it. You _like_ us. We’re _friends._ ”

A less inebriated Taako would have kept arguing, but this Taako only pouted and returned to swaying on the bed. He stayed silent, encouraging the fighter to continue. “Well, whether you admit it or not, we are. And I like you. I like Merle. I like the dynamic we have. It’s kind of like -” he started to say _family_ , but stopped himself. Not quite like that. “It’s kind of like peas of a feather!”

“That’s not a saying.”

“Sure it is! I just said it!”

“You’re lucky you’re handsome, Mango.”

“Damn right! So what’s wrong?”

“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

“No-pe,” he said, still smiling.

Taako stared, though not in a hostile manner. His eyes were a bit foggy, but he looked more open than he had the whole night. Magnus waited him out. He knew his companions were less inclined to be open about personal matters. He didn’t mind, necessarily, and he could respect their wishes to remain private about most things. However, it was in his nature as a born protector to want to help someone when they were hurting. He could block physical attacks, no problem, but Magnus found a much more daunting task in helping with emotion. By meeting Taako and Merle where they were, not pushing but not dismissing, he was protecting as best he could. So Magnus waited.

“You ever just feel fuckin’ empty?” the elf said suddenly after moments of silence. Magnus looked at him, eyes still foggy and darting around, but he had spoken. It was a start. 

“Like...you’re low on HP empty?”

“No, like you’re standing on a fake moon and could float away at any moment empty. Like you’re not even a real person and don’t feel you ever have been empty. Like you’re suddenly saving the world with two dipshits and don’t know how you got here in the first place empty.”

Magnus was admittedly taken aback by Taako’s honesty, and he knew his friend would most definitely regret it in the morning. He had never been this open before. Taako misinterpreted his silence and immediatley darted his eyes, saying, “nevermind, it’s dumb, I’m dumb, cha’boy is tired and drunk and needs his beauty rest so if you could just -”

“No! It’s not dumb. You’re not dumb.”

He snorted. “Mags, dumb is literally my brand. Keep up.”

“Yeah, but you’re not. You just act like it sometimes. Like Merle acts super grumpy when he’s one-hundo percent a big softy.”

“Bullshit. That dwarf is only soft when it comes to plants.”

“Actually, I think he’s hard when it comes to -”

“Ew! Enough! I surrender!”

“Say you’re not dumb or I’m gonna keep describing Merle’s plant fucking!”

“Fine! I’m not dumb! Happy?”

“Yes!” he laughed, leaning his head back. Taako’s face was red, but Magnus could see the hint of a smile. Good. He leaned in to meet the elf’s eyes and put his serious face on. “It’s not dumb to feel empty. A few years ago, empty was all I knew. I couldn’t see a point in anything. I think I just lived off of muscle memory for awhile. It kinda sucked.”

Another snort. “Yeah, no dip.”

“I still feel like that sometimes. It still sucks. And I really don’t know how to make it go away. Except...you guys make it better.”

Taako rolled his eyes, face still red. “Okay, softie.”

“I mean it! I feel like I have a purpose now, and I have people to share it with. That’s worth something, isn’t it?”

“I guess,” said softly.

“I know that doesn’t fix anything. I don’t know if you can fix it. You just hold onto things that help get you through it. And you have me.”

Taako voluntarily looked at him for the first time in their conversation, eyes misty but a bit wide. “Thanks, Maggie,” he mumbled, quiet enough that Magnus barely heard him. “I guess you’re not the worst thing I could have.”

“I could definitely think of much worse.”

Magnus then hesitated, but only for a brief moment. He reached over and pulled his friend into his arms, grappling him with as much care as possible. Taako automatically stiffened in shock, but Magnus did not move, and he eventually relaxed into the hug, face against the fighter’s shoulder. 

They sat still in that way for several moments. The silence was broken by a muffled voice speaking into Magnus’s arm. “I hope you understand that I am terribly drunk right now, and I will remember none of this in the morning and will furthermore deny that any of it ever happened.”

Magnus only laughed and hugged him tighter. “I know.”

He didn’t know how long it was until Taako fell asleep, but Magnus ended up laying him flat on the bed and tiptoeing out of the room. He felt lighter, somehow. His friend had never opened up to him like that before, and Magnus felt they were better for it. They were better with each other.

Maybe they were closer to family territory than he thought.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated. thanks for reading <3


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